Educational device



April 211, 1953 A. M. WHITLOCK 2,635,357

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed June 10, 1952 Alla/7 9%2222100? Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDUCATIONAL Device Allen M. Whitlock, New omen, 'Conn.

Application June 10, 1952 "serial :No. 292,681 (eras -'39) 3 Claims; 1

This invention relates to educational devices, and more particularly to a combination of elements including a clock by which children or others may be taught-how to tell time. I

A number of diiiiculties are encountered inattempting to teach one how to tell time with a conventional clock, primarily because the conventional numbers lthrough 12 on a clock face refer only to the hours, while there areno numbers on the clock face indicating the various minutes of a particular hour. Thus, While it is a simple matter to teach one the function of the hour hand of a clock, it is more difficult to teach one the function of the minute hand, and particularly how to express the various time representations indicated by various positions of the minute hand.

My invention is broadly directed to the .pro-' vision of certain attachments which, when secured to a conventional clock, cooperate .with one another and with the clock face to enable the functions of the minute hand thereof to be readily explained. While I am aware that numerous devices have heretofore been devised for the genera1 purpose of teaching one how to tell time, such as the device disclosed in E; Murray Patent 696,690, issued April 1, 1902, and that disclosed in E. M. Pitcher Patent 2,172,450, issued September 12, 1939, none has made use of a conventional clock, nor has any, as-far as I am aware, been entirely successful.

More specifically, my invention comprises the combination with a -convent'io'nal clock of a pair of fiat annular members pivotally secured to the front of the clock. Ihe annular members are of substantially equal size and are pivotable into and out of a position in which one overlies the other and both surround the dial portion of the clock face. The annular member which lies immediately adjacent the clock face when in the aforementioned position, has one semicircular portion or half of its face of one color and the other semicircular half of its face of another or contrasting color, with the different colored semicircular halves so chosen that one lies on one side of a vertical center line through the center of the clock face and the other on the opposite side of the center line when the member is in the aforementioned position with respect to the clock face. The second annular member which is adapted to overlie the colored member is substantially transparent and is provided with a plurality of numbers equally spaced around its face which, when this member is in its position surrounding the dial portion of the clock face, are radially opposite the numbers indicating hours on the clock dial. These numbers increase :by multiples of five on each side of the vertical center line of the clock face from the point of intersection of the line and the member at the top of the clock face to the point of intersection of the line and the member at the bottom of the clock face. Each of the annular members may be individually moved to its operative position surrounding the clock dial, and thus the device may be used with either one or both of the annular members in position.

For amoredetaileddescription of one embodiment of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

'Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device showing the front face of the clock and the two annular members secured thereto but out of operative position; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device with the annular members in the operative position.

By reference to the drawings, a conventional clock is illustrated and indicated generally by the numeral 40. The clock comprises a casing 4| containing an operating mechanism, not shown, a base 42 and adjusting devices 43 for winding and setting. The clock is further provided with a conventional dial 54, upon which are contained the numbers representing hours of the day, and with an hour hand 45 and a minute hand 46 which are conventionally mounted centrally of the dial. Surrounding the dial 44 thejclock face is provided with an annular blank surface area 41. A threaded stud 48 is permanently secured to the clock face substantially centrally of the uppermost portion of surface area 41 of the clock.

face and carries thereon a pair of annular members 49 and 56 which are secured against removal by knurled hand nut 5|. The annular members 49 and 50 are supported solely by stud 48 and may be pivoted about the stud, The annular members are of substantially identical size with respect to one another and with respect to surface area 47 of the clock face and may be pivoted on stud 48 to a position in which they overlie each other and surface area 47 of the clock face.

The annular member 49 has two semicircular portions 53 and 54 which terminate adjacent stud 48, portion 53 being of one color, preferably a dark color, and portion 54 being of a different, light color, or a lighter shade of the same color. Furthermore, portion 53 carries the legend after, while the portion 54 carries the legend before. The purpose of the dark-colored portion 53 of annular member 49 is, as will be readily understood, to visually suggest a time after,"

3 whereas the light color of portion '54 visually suggests a time before.

The annular member 50 is made of a transparent material and overlies annular member 49 wehn both are in a position concentric with the blank portion 41 of the clock face. Thus the colors of the two portions of annular member 49, as well as the legends carried by it, will be visible through annular member 50 when overlying it. Annular member 50 carries two series of numbers 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25. Each series is carried on one half of the annular member, the numbers being equally spaced from one another. Each series begins with a zero value at the pivot position, one progressing clockwise therefrom and" the other counterclockwise. When annular member 50 is in position to surround dial 44, the numbers carried thereby lie radially opposite the numbers on the dial. The series of numbers extending in a counterclockwise direction from the pivot point represent the minutes before a particular hour, whereas those extending in a clockwise direction from the pivot point represent the minutes after a particular hour. H

The operation of my device should be clear from the above description thereof, but a word or two in this connection will not be superfluous. The device may be used with either or both of the annular members located in position to surround the dial 44. With both annular members in such position, a child may be readily taught what the various positions of the minute hand mean in terms of time. Assuming that he has been taught the relatively simple matter of the meaning of the various positions of the hour hand 45, he will then be able to tell time with the aid of the device in terms of minutes before and after the hour. His ability to tell whether the numberof minutes represented by the position of the minute hand 46 are before or after the hour may be tested by turning the annular member 49 out of operative position, leaving annular member 50 in its operative position. Likewise his ability to tell the number of minutes represented by the position of the minute hand 46, whether it be before or after the hour, may be tested by leaving annular member 49 in operative position while moving annular member 50 out of such position. To test the student .for a complete understanding of the meaningof the various positions of minute hand 46, both of the .annular'members 49 and 50 may be pivoted out of their operative positions.

' As various changes and modifications maybe made in the structure of my device without departing from my invention, that invention should 4 be limited only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a clock, a pair of flat annular members pivotally mounted on the front thereof, said annular members being of substantially equal size and being pivotable into and out.

of a position in which one overlies the other and both surround the dial portion of the clock face,

the one of said annular members which underlies the other of said annularmembers when both are, in said position having one semicircular half of its face of one color and the other semicircular:

half thereof of another color, said semicircular;

halves of the face of said underlying annular member lying 'on opposite sides of a vertical center line through the center of the clock face when said annular member is in said position, and theother of said annular members which overlies said one of the members being made of a substantially transparent material and having numbers on its face which when said member is in said position are equally spaced around the face of said member radially opposite the num:

bers indicating hours on the clock face and increase by multiples of five on each side of said vertical center line of the clock face from the point of interaction of said line and said member at the top of the clock face to the point of intersection of said line and said member at the bottom of the clock face.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 which includes a horizontally projecting stud or pin secured to the clock face adjacent the uppermost portion thereof and in which the annular members are mounted on said pivot pin for pivotal References-Cited in the file of this patent UNrrED's aTEs' PATENTS Number Name Date 696,696 Murray Apr.-1, 1902 1,438,153 Whalen Dec. 5, 1922 Pitcher Sept. 12, 1939 

